Water and Sewer
We provide treated drinking water and sanitary sewer service to Amherstview, Odessa, and Bath, and treated drinking water to the Brooklands and Harewood subdivisions. We also have a bulk water station for commercial users, located just north of Amherstview.
Utilities Emergencies
Utilities emergencies, such as a watermain or water service break or a sewer backup, can happen at any time.
To report an emergency such as a watermain break or request emergency water shutoff during office hours, please call 613-386-7351, ext. 103#. After-hours, please call our answering service at 613-507-3069, and Utilities staff will be dispatched immediately to respond to the emergency.
Signs of a watermain break include water bubbling up through the ground, or water gushing on the street. Watermain breaks can happen because of aging infrastructure. Extreme cold weather can also play a role, when freeze-thaw cycles expand and contract materials, placing stress on the pipes.
Property owners are responsible for the portion of their water service from the property line into the house, and all interior plumbing except for the water meter. After the initial installation, water meters must not be bypassed, repaired, or otherwise tampered with. Any repairs or replacements must be completed by Loyalist Utilities staff. If you have concerns about your water meter, please contact the Utilities Clerk at 613-386-7351, ext. 105#.
Water information |
Loyalist Township owns and operates two water treatment plants: Fairfield Water Treatment Plant in Amherstview, which provides treated drinking water to Amherstview, Odessa, and to Harewood and Brooklands Subdivisions; and Bath Water Treatment Plant, which provides treated drinking water to the village of Bath, and to the Millhaven and Bath Institutions. If you are a Loyalist water customer, connection to and use of our water system is regulated by By-law 2018-061. Annual reports on the Township's drinking water systems are presented to Council each year. The 2022 annual report was presented to Council on February 27, 2023. More information on drinking water quality is available here. |
Protect your water meter during the cold months |
Do you escape the cold Canadian winters by heading to warmer climes? If you're a municipal water customer, it's your responsibility to ensure your water meter is protected from freezing. This picture shows the underside of a water meter removed from a building that was unheated during the winter months. The frost plate of the meter is cracked from the water in the meter having frozen and expanded. Under the Township’s Water Works By-law 2018-061 (Sections 11.12, 11.13, 11.16, 11.17), every property owner is liable for the safety and care of the water meter, including providing adequate frost protection. If the meter is damaged by freezing in an unheated building, the property owner is responsible for the cost of replacement. If you’re planning to be away for an extended period during the winter months, plan to have your home checked regularly to ensure a minimum temperature is maintained in your absence. You can also schedule an appointment with the Utilities division to have your water turned off at the curbstop (the valve at the street) for the winter months. To schedule this service, please call or email the Utilities Clerk at 613-386-7351, ext. 105#. |
Sanitary sewer information |
There are two sanitary sewage collection systems in Loyalist Township. The Bath sewage collection system collects the sanitary sewage from the village of Bath and from the Millhaven and Bath Institutions. This is received and treated at the Bath Sewage Treatment Plant. The Loyalist East sewage collection system collects the sanitary sewage from the community of Amherstview, and from Odessa by means of the Bridge Street Pumping Station. This is received and treated at the Amherstview Water Pollution Control Plant. If you are a Loyalist utilities customer, the use of the sanitary sewer systems is regulated by By-law 2011-098. Annual reports on the Township's sewage treatment plants are presented to Council each year. The 2021 Annual report was presented to Council on April 25, 2022. |
Our mission |
The mission of the Loyalist Township Utilities Division is to operate the Township's water and sanitary sewer infrastructure in such a way as to protect the health of all users, and to mitigate negative impact upon our environment by ensuring compliance with applicable laws. The Utilities Division will strive to provide good customer service, in a cost effective and efficient manner, continually improving upon the operation and maintenance of the system, and always responding to customers in a professional manner. |
Water & sewer connection fees |
Our impost fees by-law, By-law 2019-099, regulates the costs to connect to Loyalist Township water and sewer services as calculated in the 2019 connection charges study. These costs are charged to fund new and existing capacity for water and sewage treatment and pumping stations. Water and sewer works charges (impost fees) For Factory Street Odessa, use this schedule instead of the above Additional works charges apply to these specific locations: Odessa Trunk, Harewood, Brooklands. (Definition of Odessa Trunk area) Refer to Sections 51 and 52 of By-law 2019-099 for information on annual indexed increases to the fees published in the schedules to the by-law. Several Developers have prepaid a certain amount per unit with respect to water and sewage treatment. The following credits may be taken: Credit to Developers for prepaid water treatment Credit to developers for prepaid sewage treatment
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Other utilities |
For other services, please contact the following utilities: Electrical service – Hydro One Natural gas service – Enbridge Loyalist Township does not rent water heaters. If you have purchased a home with a rented water heater, please check to see if there is a label on the tank to identify the rental company involved. Both Bell Canada and Cogeco provide telephone, internet, and cable/satellite television service to areas of Loyalist Township. Other internet providers may be available, depending on your location. |
Service Line Warranties of Canada offers optional Service Line Warranty to homeowners |
Loyalist Township has an agreement with Service Line Warranties of Canada (SLWC), a provider of homeowner emergency repair programs, to provide optional and voluntary service plans to residents in Loyalist Township. Residential property owners may receive mailings from SLWC about water service line and sewer/septic line coverage available to Loyalist homeowners. Full details regarding the program are available here. |
Modified Water Pressure in Bath |
On March 23, 2022, water service in the east end of Bath was interrupted to connect this area of the distribution system to the local, regular pressure watermain. Previously, infrastructure limitations meant that this area was connected to the high pressure watermain, which runs on the high end of allowable pressures based on guidelines from the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks (MECP). This resulted in a permanent reduction in water pressure of approximately 30 percent in the water distribution system on Purdy Road, Pruyn Crescent, and Sir John Johnson Drive. This brings that area of the water distribution system into the pressure range recommended by the MECP and in line with other areas of the Township. Following the reduction, some residents in the affected area have expressed concerns with the effect that the pressure reduction has had on their household water flow rate. To learn more about these concerns, the Township held a virtual Open House on May 26, 2022. A recording of the virtual presentation is available on the Township’s YouTube channel and the PowerPoint presentation can be viewed here. The diagram below illustrates the areas of responsibility with respect to water distribution. The property line shown below is the demarcation between the Township’s distribution system, regulated by MECP, and the property’s plumbing system including water service line, regulated by the Ontario Building Code. A question-and-answer document originally prepared in April, has now been updated to address the questions raised during the Open House. Next Steps One of the concerns expressed by residents during the Open House was the perception of pressure fluctuations throughout the day. To investigate this, the Township placed pressure monitors on hydrants in the area, as agreed during the information session. The data logging devices will provide continuous monitoring of system pressures during their in-service period. The data will be forwarded to our hydraulic modelling consultant for further analysis. The data analysis is now complete, and a follow-up meeting with the residents impacted by the pressure change was held Wednesday, August 24, 2022, 6 p.m. at the Bath Fire Station. A notice regarding the meeting was hand-delivered to all households on Sir John Johnson Drive, Purdy Road, and Pruyn Crescent on August 4, 2022. The presentation from that meeting is available here. The hydraulic modelling report completed by the Township's consultant is available upon request. To request a copy please email the Administrative Assistant. Please note, the PDF document is very large. A link to a secure download will be sent to you. Throughout the fall of 2022, Utilities staff undertook investigative work at a number of homes in the affected area, in cooperation with homeowners. This work included testing of the private plumbing inside the home, monitoring water pressure when static and under flow conditions, and replacement of the existing water meters with a ultrasonic meter. At their regular session on November 28, 2022, Council received a staff report which summarized the concerns, the investigative work, and staff’s findings. Subsequently, Council passed the following resolution: Resolution 2022.1.20 Moved by Councillor Budarick and Seconded by Councillor Townend that the report from the Utilities Division, November 28, 2022 re: Bath East End Water Pressure Concerns Update, be received; and that no further action be taken based on the findings of the evaluation conducted in the water distribution system and private plumbing in the area. Motion carried. If you have any questions, please contact us by phone or email. |
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